Washing machine

Abstract

To provide a washing machine allowing work of a heat pump device to be executed by removing the minimum number of components.SOLUTION: A washing machine of the disclosure comprises: an enclosure; a washing tank disposed in the enclosure; a lid body to cover an upper opening of the enclosure so as to be openable and closable; and a heat pump device that is disposed at the upper opening of the enclosure and dries laundry in the washing tank. The heat pump device has a case and a case cover for covering the case. The case cover is constituted so as to be attachable to and detachable from the case in a state where the lid body is removed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a washing machine.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 includes an inner tub provided inside a housing for accommodating clothes, a heat pump device for dehumidifying and heating air, and a circulation flow path connecting the inner tub and the heat pump device. The heat pump device forms a case having an air inlet and an air outlet connected to the circulation flow path and an air flow path extending between the air inlet and the air outlet, and includes a first heat exchanger disposed in the air flow path for dehumidifying air, a second heat exchanger for heating air, and a cleaning unit for supplying cleaning water to the upstream surface of the first heat exchanger. It discloses a washing machine provided with

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a washing machine capable of suppressing the labor involved in the operation of the heat pump device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The washing machine according to the present disclosure includes a housing, a washing tub disposed inside the housing, a lid body that can open and close the upper opening of the housing, and a heat pump device disposed at the upper opening of the housing for drying the laundry inside the washing tub. The heat pump device includes a case and a case cover covering the case, and the case cover is configured to be detachable from the case in a state where the lid body is removed.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] The washing machine in the present disclosure can facilitate the operation of the heat pump device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 4

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Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] (Knowledge, etc. on which the present disclosure is based) When the inventors arrived at the present disclosure, a washing machine was known that included an inner tub provided inside the housing for accommodating clothes and a heat pump device provided above the housing for drying the laundry in the inner tub by dehumidifying and heating the air. However, in the conventional technology, since the heat pump device is installed in the upper space of the housing, although it is an arrangement where the heat pump device can be easily replaced, it is premised on replacing the entire heat pump device. Therefore, when performing maintenance work assuming the disassembly of the heat pump device, such as cleaning the inside of the heat pump device or replacing internal parts, it is necessary to remove many parts, and the inventors discovered that the configuration was laborious and costly in terms of work steps, and in order to solve this problem, they arrived at the subject matter of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a washing machine that can suppress the labor involved in removing the heat pump device during maintenance work.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, there may be cases where explanations that are more detailed than necessary are omitted. For example, there may be cases where detailed explanations of well-known matters or duplicate explanations for substantially the same configurations are omitted. Note that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. [1-1. Configuration] [1-1-1. Overall Configuration of Washing Machine] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a washing machine according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the washing machine in Embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a top view of the washing machine with the lid removed in Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the washing machine in Embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a rear view showing the upper part of the back of the washing machine in Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a rear view showing the state with the lid removed in FIG. 5.

[0011] The washing machine 1 of Embodiment 1 is a so-called drum-type washing machine equipped with a drying function. As shown in FIG. 1, the washing machine 1 includes a housing 10. The housing 10 is formed in a substantially box shape by a front panel 10a, side panels 10b, and a back panel 10c. The back panel 10c is attached from the back side to the front panel 10a and side panels 10 which are configured in a substantially U shape, and is fastened from the side, that is, from the back side, by fastening members (not shown). A lid 11 is detachably attached to the upper surface of the housing 10. A substantially circular opening 12 is formed in the front of the housing 10, and a door 13 for closing the opening 12 is provided on the front of the housing 10 so as to be openable and closable.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a washing tub 14 (outer tub) is accommodated inside the housing 10. The washing tub 14 is a substantially cylindrical member having a function of storing washing water. The washing tub 14 is elastically supported by a suspension 15, and the suspension 15 absorbs vibrations during washing and dehydration. The washing tub 14 has an opening 16 at a position facing the opening 12 of the housing 10. Further, an air outlet 17 is provided at the upper part of the washing tub 14, and an air inlet (not shown) is provided at the back of the washing tub 14. Although not shown, an inner tub is rotatably driven and accommodated inside the washing tub 14. The inner tub is a substantially cylindrical member that accommodates laundry such as clothes.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a heat pump device 30 is installed at the upper part of the housing 10. The housing 10 is provided with a duct 18 that connects the outlet 17 and the inlet to the heat pump device 30.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 4, a lid-side filter opening 19 is formed on one side of the upper surface of the lid body 11. A filter lid 20 is detachably attached to the lid-side filter opening 19. A filter 45 that protrudes downward and is accommodated inside the heat pump device 30 is integrally attached to the lower surface side of the filter lid 20. The user of the washing machine can perform maintenance on the filter 45 by removing the filter lid 20. Further, a detergent lid 21 for injecting detergents, softeners, bleaches, etc. is detachably attached to the other side of the upper surface of the lid body 11.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of side handles 22 for moving the washing machine 1 are provided on the side surface of the housing 10. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a rear handle (not shown) for moving the washing machine 1 is provided on the rear side of the lid body 11. An inner concave rear handle recess corresponding to the rear handle is provided at the upper part of the rear panel 10c at a position corresponding to the rear handle.

[0016] [1-1-2. Configuration of the heat pump device] Next, the configuration of the heat pump device 30 will be described. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the heat pump device 30 in the first embodiment. The heat pump device 30 is a device for dehumidifying and heating the internal air of the washing tub 14. The heat pump device 30 includes a case 31 having a case opening 31a that opens upward, and a case cover 32 that closes the case opening 31a. An air inlet 33 and an air outlet 34 to which the duct 18 is connected are formed at opposing positions on the side surface of the case 31. The case 31 is provided with a filter housing portion 35 adjacent to the air inlet 33, a heat exchanger housing portion 36 disposed on the air outlet 34 side from the filter housing portion 35, and a compressor housing portion 37. In other words, the filter housing portion 35 is provided upstream of the heat exchanger housing portion 36 in the air circulation passage described later.

[0017] The compressor housing portion 37 houses a compressor 40. The heat exchanger housing portion 36 houses a dehumidifying heat exchanger 41 and a heating heat exchanger 42. The dehumidifying heat exchanger 41 is disposed on the air inlet 33 side from the heating heat exchanger 42. A refrigeration cycle is configured by connecting the compressor 40, the dehumidifying heat exchanger 41, the heating heat exchanger 42, and a throttling mechanism (not shown) to each other by refrigerant pipes.

[0018] A main filter 43 is attached to the heat exchanger housing portion 36 side of the filter housing portion 35. The filter housing portion 35 is configured such that a filter 45 attached to the filter lid 20 is positioned at a position upstream of the main filter 43 and facing the air inlet 33. The main filter 43 and the filter 45 are members for capturing and removing foreign substances such as lint, dust, and hair from the air flowing into the case 31 from the air inlet 33.

[0019] At a position corresponding to the filter housing portion 35 of the case cover 32, an opening 38 for the case cover side filter is formed. The opening 38 for the case cover side filter is formed at a position corresponding to the opening 19 for the lid side filter. The opening 19 for the lid side filter and the opening 38 for the case cover side filter are covered by the filter lid 20 in a state where the filter 45 is housed in the filter housing portion 35. The user of the washing machine is configured to be able to attach and detach the main filter 43 housed in the filter housing portion 35 through the opening 38 for the case cover side filter with the filter 45 removed.

[0020] A fan unit 44 is attached to the air outlet 34 of the case 31. The suction port of the fan unit 44 communicates with the air outlet 34, and the blowout port of the fan unit 44 communicates with a duct 18 connected to the inflow port inside the case 31. Thereby, by driving the fan unit 44, the internal air of the washing tub 14 is drawn into the inside of the heat pump device 30 from the air inlet 33 through the outflow port 17 and the duct 18, and the air that has passed through the filter 45 and the main filter 43 is dehumidified by the dehumidifying heat exchanger 41 and heated by the heating heat exchanger 42, and then a air circulation passage is formed to return to the inside of the washing tub 14 through the duct 18 and the inflow port.

[0021] A plurality of upper surface side fixing portions 50 are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the case 31. A plurality of screw holes 51 for the case are formed in the outer peripheral portion of the case cover 32 at the upper surface side fixing portions 50. The case cover 32 is detachably fixed to the case 31 by screwing a plurality of case screws 52 as the second fastening member through the screw holes 51 for the case into the upper surface side fixing portions 50 of the case 31.

[0022] A cover side fan fixing portion 53 protruding toward the fan unit 44 and a case side fan fixing portion 54 are provided on the side surface of the case cover 32 on the fan unit 44 side and below the air outlet 34 of the case 31, respectively. The fan unit 44 is formed with fan screw holes 55. By screwing the cover-side fan screw 56 as the first fastening member and the case-side fan screw 57 as the third fastening member through the fan screw holes 55 to the cover-side fan fixing portion 53 and the case-side fan fixing portion 54, the fan unit 44 is configured to be fixed to the case 31 and the case cover 32. In this embodiment, the number of the cover-side fan screws 56 and the case-side fan screws 57 is the same, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the number of the case-side fan screws 57 may be larger than that of the cover-side fan screws 56. The cover-side fan screw 56 may be "0". In this case, while securely fixing the fan unit 44 with the case-side fan screws 57, the number of the cover-side fan screws 56 can be reduced to reduce the working man-hours of the operator.

[0023] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, a notch portion 60 is formed at a position corresponding to one of the fan screw holes 55 on the upper edge of one of the rear handle recesses 23 on the back plate 10c. The notch portion 60 is configured such that the cover-side fan screw 56 is exposed in a side view of the housing 10. And, as shown in FIG. 5, in a state where the lid 11 is attached, the notch portion 60 is configured to be covered by the lid 11. In other words, the cover-side fan screw 56 is not covered by the back plate 10c. Note that the means for exposing the cover-side fan screw 56 is not limited to the notch portion 60. For example, the entire upper end of the rear handle recess 23 portion may be positioned downward to expose the cover-side fan screw 56.

[0024] [1-2. Operation] Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. The operation of the washing machine 1 includes a washing step, a rinsing step, a dehydration step, and a drying step. In the washing process, laundry and detergent are placed in the inner tub of the washing tub 14, and water is supplied until a predetermined water level is reached in the washing tub 14. Then, by rotationally driving the inner tub, the laundry washing process is performed. Even in the rinsing process after the washing process, water is supplied to the washing tub 14 in the same manner as in the washing process, and the laundry is rinsed by rotationally driving the inner tub. In the dehydration process, after draining the washing water in the washing tub 14, the inner tub is rotated at high speed to dehydrate the laundry.

[0025] In the drying process, the compressor 40 and the fan unit 44 are driven to dry the laundry. When the compressor 40 is driven, the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant piping in the order of the compressor 40, the heating heat exchanger 42, the throttling mechanism, and the dehumidifying heat exchanger 41. In the heating heat exchanger 42, the refrigerant is cooled and the air is heated by heat exchange between the refrigerant heated to a high temperature by compression and the air. In the throttling mechanism, the refrigerant is further cooled by depressurization, and in the dehumidifying heat exchanger 41, the refrigerant is heated and the air is cooled by heat exchange between the refrigerant at a low temperature and the air.

[0026] That is, the air in the washing tub 14 flowing in from the air inlet 33 is cooled and dehumidified by the dehumidifying heat exchanger 41, and then heated by the heating heat exchanger 42, becomes high temperature, and is returned to the washing tub 14. Thereby, the laundry inside the washing tub 14 can be dried by heated air with low humidity.

[0027] Next, the case of performing maintenance on the heat pump device 30 will be described. First, by removing the filter cover 20, the filter 45 is removed. Subsequently, the operator removes the lid 11 of the washing machine 1 to expose the heat pump device 30. Subsequently, the case screw 52 and the cover side fan screw 56 are removed, and the case cover 32 is removed from the case 31. Since the housing 10 of the present embodiment is provided with the notch 60, the operator can easily remove the cover side fan screw from the side. Note that the case side fan screw 57 remains fixed.

[0028] When the operator removes the case cover 32, the dehumidifying heat exchanger 41, the heating heat exchanger 42, the main filter 43, and the compressor 40 inside the case 31 are exposed. Therefore, the operator performs necessary maintenance work on the exposed dehumidifying heat exchanger 41, heating heat exchanger 42, main filter 43, and compressor 40. For example, as maintenance work, the operator performs a cleaning operation to remove lint and the like attached to the dehumidifying heat exchanger 41 and the heating heat exchanger 42. When the work is completed, the case screw 52 is screwed into the upper surface side fixing portion 50 of the case 31, and the fan screw 56 is screwed into the cover side fan fixing portion 53 and the case side fan fixing portion 54, thereby fixing the fan unit 44 to the case 31 and the case cover 32. By integrally fixing the case 31 and the case cover 32 with the case screw 52, it is possible to suppress the generation of rattling sounds and the like between the case 31 and the case cover 32 even when the case 31 and the case cover 32 vibrate due to the driving of the fan unit 44.

[0029] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, the washing machine 1 according to the first embodiment includes a housing 10, a washing tub 14 disposed inside the housing 10, a lid 11 that can open and close the upper opening of the housing 10, and a heat pump device 30 disposed at the upper opening of the housing 10 for drying the laundry inside the washing tub. The heat pump device 30 includes a case 31 and a case cover 32 that covers the case 31. The case cover 32 is configured to be detachable from the case 31 in a state where the lid 11 is removed. Thereby, by removing the case cover 32 of the heat pump device 30 from the case 31 after removing the lid 11, the operation of the heat pump device 30 can be easily performed.

[0030] Further, in the washing machine 1 according to the first embodiment, the case 31 has a case opening 31a that opens upward, and the case cover 32 is detachably provided at the case opening 31a. By exposing the inside of the case 31 from the case opening 31a, the work inside the case 31 can be carried out from above, improving workability.

[0031] A fan unit 44 is attached to the case 31 from the side of the case 31, and the fan unit 44 is fixed to the case 31 by a case-side fan screw 57 (third fastening member) located below the case opening 31a. With this configuration, since the case-side fan screw 57 that fixes the fan unit 44 and the case 31 is located below the case opening 31a, it is difficult to prevent the removal of the case 31.

[0032] In addition, in the washing machine 1 of the first embodiment, a fan unit 44 is attached to the case 31, and the fan unit 44 is fixed by a cover-side fan screw 56 (first fastening member) and the case cover 32. The cover-side fan screw 56 is provided at a position where it can be removed with the lid 11 removed. Thereby, the operator can remove the cover-side fan screw 56 without removing the back panel 10c.

[0033] In addition, in the washing machine 1 of the first embodiment, the case screw 52 (second fastening member) that fastens the case 31 and the case cover 32 is fixed from above the case cover 32, and the cover-side fan screw 56 (first fastening member) that fastens the case cover 32 and the fan unit 44 is fixed from the side of the case cover 32. Thereby, by simply removing the lid 11, both the case screw 52 and the cover-side fan screw 56 can be removed, and the case cover 32 can be removed.

[0034] In addition, in the washing machine 1 of the first embodiment, a notch 60 is formed in the housing 10 at a position corresponding to the cover-side fan screw 56 (first fastening member) so that the cover-side fan screw 56 can be exposed in a side view of the housing 10. Thus, the cover-side fan screw 56 can be removed from the side through the notch 60.

[0035] (Other embodiments) Note that, as an example of the technology disclosed in this application, Embodiment 1 has been described. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments with changes, replacements, additions, omissions, etc.

[0036] (Supplementary note) From the description of the above embodiments, the following technologies are disclosed.

[0037] (Technology 1) A washing machine comprising a housing, a washing tub disposed within the housing, a lid that can open and close the upper opening of the housing, and a heat pump device disposed at the upper opening of the housing for drying laundry inside the washing tub, wherein the heat pump device includes a case and a case cover covering the case, and the case cover is configured to be detachable from the case with the lid removed. With this configuration, by removing the lid and then removing the case cover of the heat pump device from the case, the operation of the heat pump device can be easily performed.

[0038] (Technology 2) The washing machine according to Technology 1, wherein the case has a case opening that opens upward, and the case cover is detachably provided at the case opening. With this configuration, by exposing the inside of the case from the case opening, the operation inside the case can be performed from above, improving workability.

[0039] (Technology 3) The washing machine according to Technology 2, wherein a fan unit is attached to the case from the side of the case, and the fan unit is fixed to the case by a third fastening member located below the case opening. With this configuration, since the fastening member for fixing the fan unit and the case is located below the case opening, it is difficult to prevent the removal of the case.

[0040] (TECHNOLOGY 4) A fan unit is attached to the case, and the fan unit is fixed by the case cover and a first fastening member. The first fastening member is provided at a position where it can be removed in a state where the lid body is removed. The washing machine according to any one of TECHNOLOGY 1 to TECHNOLOGY 3. With this configuration, when the fan unit is driven, it is possible to suppress the generation of rattling sounds between the case and the case cover due to the vibration of the fan unit, and it is possible for an operator to remove the first fastening member without removing the back panel.

[0041] (TECHNOLOGY 5) A second fastening member for fastening the case and the case cover is fixed from above the case cover, and the first fastening member is fixed from the side of the case cover. The washing machine according to TECHNOLOGY 4. With this configuration, by simply removing the lid body, both the first fastening member 2 and the second fastening member can be removed, and the case cover can be removed.

[0042] (TECHNOLOGY 6) A notch portion for exposing the first fastening member in a side view of the housing is formed at a position corresponding to the first fastening member in the housing. The washing machine according to TECHNOLOGY 5. With this configuration, the first fastening member can be removed from the side through the notch portion.

Industrial Applicability

[0043] As described above, the present disclosure can be suitably used as a washing machine that can perform the operation of the heat pump device with a minimum number of parts removed and can save the labor of the work process.

Explanation of Signs

[0044] 1 Washing machine 10 Housing 11 Lid body 12 Opening 13 Door 14 Washing tub 15 Suspension 16 Opening 17 Outlet 18 Duct 19 Opening for lid-side filter 20 Filter lid 21 Detergent lid 22 Side handle 23 Rear handle 30 Heat pump device 31 Case 31a Case opening 32 Case cover 33 Air inlet 34 Air outlet 35 Filter housing part 36 Heat exchanger housing part 37 Compressor housing part 38 Opening for case-cover side filter 40 Compressor 41 Dehumidifying heat exchanger 42 Heating heat exchanger 43 Main filter 44 Fan unit 45 Filter 50 Upper side fixing part 51 Screw hole for case 52 Screw for case 53 Cover-side fan fixing part 54 Case-side fan fixing part 55 Screw hole for fan 56 Screw for cover-side fan 57 Screw for case-side fan 60 Notch part

Claims

1. A housing, a washing tub disposed within the housing, a lid that openably and closably covers an upper opening of the housing, and a heat pump device disposed at the upper opening of the housing for drying laundry inside the washing tub. The washing machine is provided with: the heat pump device includes a case and a case cover that covers the case, the case cover is configured to be detachable from the case in a state where the lid is removed, a washing machine.

2. The case has a case opening that opens upward, the case cover is detachably provided at the case opening, The washing machine according to claim 1.

3. A fan unit is attached to the case from the side of the case, the fan unit is fixed to the case by a third fastening member located below the case opening, The washing machine according to claim 2.

4. A fan unit is attached to the case, the fan unit is fixed by the case cover and a first fastening member, the first fastening member is provided at a position where it can be removed in a state where the lid is removed, The washing machine according to claim 3.

5. A second fastening member for fastening the case and the case cover is fixed from above the case cover, and the first fastening member is fixed from the side of the case cover, The washing machine according to claim 4.

6. A notch is formed in the housing at a position corresponding to the first fastening member so that the first fastening member can be exposed in a side view of the housing, The washing machine according to claim 5.

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